Tiger presented Weir with his only green jacket in 2003
Former Masters champ Mike Weir had some harsh words for the fine folks at Augusta following his round. Might have been harsh because he shot 80, or it might be that he really thinks — like I do — that the course has gotten out of hand.
“I don’t know what point they’re trying to prove,” Weir said. “Personally, I think they’re missing the boat. I think this tournament is about excitement, roars of the crowd.”
Weir added:
“The golf course is tough enough,” said Weir, who felt rushed and made bogey on that hole. “They’ve got to figure there’s no way you can play on the time. With the winds swirling around these greens, it’s impossible to play at a normal pace.”
I can only imagine what Geoff Ogilvy must be thinking right now.
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Robert Thompson
A bestselling author and award-winning columnist, Robert Thompson has been writing about business and sports, and particularly golf, for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary on golf has appeared in Golf Magazine, the Globe and Mail, T&L Golf and many other media outlets. Currently Robert is a columnist with Global Golf Post, golf analyst for Global News and Shaw Communications, and Senior Writer to ScoreGolf. The Going for the Green blog was launched in 2004.
Weir is dead on.
What are they trying to prove? I think the answer is simple. They want to eliminate a fluke winner, but unfortunately Tiger did not have his A game.
This tournament is scripted to be like the last Pebble Beach US Open in 2000 where everyone else shot over par while Tiger Woods shot 12 under and won by 15 shots. Everyone else played to the script this time except one person – Woods.
My heart aches for poor little Mike Weir and his difficulties with keeping up.
I wonder if Mike Weir would have been satisfied if he finished in exactly the same position as long as his four round total was 288? Major Championships (and every round of golf for that matter) are about finding your way from the 1st tee to the hole on the 18th green in the least amount of strokes possible. Par is irrelevant.
Tell Mike “they” aren’t trying to prove anything. “They” are asking him to prove that he can hang in and grind out the best score possible without feeling sorry for himself. Nothin more. Oh, and by the way, it sure looked difficult out there on Sunday – he was forced to compete at August National for literally millions of dollars in the bright sunshine. Tough gig, Mike.
Mike Weir is bang on!! Yes, it is a Major. No, you do not want ridiculously low scores, however, the golf fan wants to see these guys, the best players in the world, have a chance to break par. It is getting to the point where they are making these courses stupidly hard—-even for the best. Ask those who watch, would you rather see 5 under, or 5 over. The answer will be 5 under every time. Remember the farce at Shinecock—-if Augusta keeps going the way they are going, they will not be far behind. Weir is exactly right!!
While I was watching the best struggle, I could only imagine how the normal player would do on a course like that. Frightening!!!
Mike Weir is a dork. Who cares if they shoot low or high scores and what difference does it make if they have a chance at breaking par? A well struck shot is rewarded in exactly the same manner whether it’s for a 3 or a 6. Even Arnold Palmer, who has been complaining about the course for years, said that if one man can find his way around in 69 shots (I belive 3 men did) then why can’t little Mike do it? He might not have mentioned Mike by name but i think you get the point.
Oh, and by the way, I’m a “normal” player and I don’t ever remember being frightened by a golf course. It’s just golf, baby. Nothing more.